What is the required educational preparation for a healthcare professional with your degree? Identify the members of your profession that are more and less trained than a professional with your degree. This may include specialists and ancillary personnel
In order to become a dentist, a degree in dental medicine or dental surgery is required. Firstly, the student must pass an extensive course of preparation, in order to obtain the required skills and knowledge. A potential candidate must earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology. It is required to ensure understanding of the more advanced and dental care-specific material. Some dental schools offer pre-dental training programs to fulfill the same purpose. After that, the student is required to complete the dental degree program, which consists of theoretical disciplines as well as laboratory and clinical practice. After completing this course, the student obtains a doctorate in either dental surgery or dental medicine.
Once I graduate and receive my doctorate, I will be placed in the middle of the dental hierarchy. I will be more qualified than the nursing and ancillary personnel working in the dental clinic, as well as the practicing students and volunteers. However, other doctors and professors with similar degrees could, arguably, be considered better-trained than me due to their greater experience in the field.
What are the licensure/certification requirements for a professional with your degree?
In order to become a licensed dentist, a candidate must adhere to very high standards, pass numerous examinations, and satisfy many requirements. Possessing a DDM or a DDS degree is a primary requirement in most states. Standard examinations to obtain a state license involve written and clinical examination held by the commission on dental accreditation (CODA). Additional certifications that may be required are the Basic Life Support and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation certifications.
What are the contributions of a professional with your degree? That is, what does someone with your degree do and why is it important?
As a professional with a dental degree, my role is to contribute to the promotion of healthcare by providing high-quality services in dental care. As a dentist, I will be involved in providing dental treatments, perform preliminary check-ups, and provide consultations, as well as participate in preemptive medical actions with the scope of promoting dental health through the distribution of related information within my community. In addition, I will share my experience and insights with practicing medical students and contribute to the country’s educational efforts in preparing high-quality medical personnel.
In what settings does someone with your degree likely to work or practice?
Since I will become a specialist in dental care, it is likely for me to find employment in a small community dental center or in a large hospital within the area that provides such services to the population. In addition, it is possible for me to provide dental care in remote areas or abroad as part of the international medical relief effort.
Based on your research and general knowledge, how might the responsibilities of a professional with your degree overlap with other health professions? Provide at least 3 examples.
Dentistry is largely associated with the health of the oral cavity. The dental team is comprised of several health professionals who, while sharing a similar theme to their practice, have specializations pertaining to specific areas of dental care. These professions include the dental technician, the orthodontist, and the dental nurse. They provide area-specific skills such as installing and manipulating braces, installing false teeth, crowns, and braces, and providing general assistance to the rest of the team. As such, these professions overlap due to the fact that the subject of their care is the patient’s oral cavity, but they differ in the array of services they provide.
Based on your research and general knowledge, how might professionals with your degree contribute to patient care as part of an interprofessional collaborative team? Provide at least 3 examples.
Interprofessional collaborative teams could gain a lot from the inclusion of dental professional into their practices. Having a dental specialist could contribute to patient care through direct treatments as well as through oral disease prevention and public health actions. A dentist could perform not only on-site dental care but also reduce overall medical care costs through preventive actions and promotion of public health in the community.